85Raderguy

Ouch, these look horrible. Is the failure in these on a servicable part like the bearing? or the axle shaft itself snaps? Just trying to determine if my current axle that hasn't yet failed is salvageable insofar as I can get it all serviced, new bearings, and a SRW setup without having to source a new rear axle assembly to do so?

Nice find Derek! Yea, I had a feeling it didn't weigh much. Being able to cruise 50-55 up passes in 4th gear most of the time and averaging about 18.5mpg. Was the fooly setup something that broke because of the actual weight of campers being too much for it, or because of the design itself? I am curious what those '78 dolphins weighed it at wet. I'm also curious if anyone else with a 78 rear door Sunrader and foolys has had an axle failure?

Hmmm, okay. Doubt I'm under 4k. I'd have to wager the rig weighs somewhere around 4200 if I had to guess. Where's the best place to get a proper front and rear axle weight measurements? And assuming I end up being in the 4200-4500 range, what then is the best option / permanent solution for this?

Yup i'm a G082 as well. So, it seems like a conclusive answer here is I can replace my axle shafts with non-abused ones that were from the same era of Toyhome but weren't setup with foolies. Load these up with SRWs in the back and I should be good to go? Any rec's as to maybe doing a wider tire and wheel in the rear to maintain a wider tracking? Or is that not necessary? Thanks for the ongoing help with.

Going to possibly be looking into 90s Odysseys as a second toy, and I know that these came standard with wood framing, but also optioned with aluminum framing ( which came standard only in the americana). Assuming the previous owners don't know, is there anyway to confirm what type of framing is in these without ripping the thing apart? I think this is an important factor when deciding on a purchase. Any ideas on how to check this?

Would this work? https://www.carid.com/1977-toyota-pick-up-performance-driveline-axles/g2-axle-gear-axle-shaft-585734016.html Also, switching from fooly to single would effectively shorten the wheelbase, wouldn't it? Would this be an issue?

Okay thanks you guys are so awesome for helping me out with this. So I have another question. Assuming I can get replacement axle shafts on there and redo bearings / seals etc. I will remove the foolie setup and replace it with 1 wheel. My trucks VIN is: RN28131614. It's noted as a 78 model year on the title, but perhaps is a late 77 model pickup? I can't seem to figure it out from this VIN. Will this single tire setup look a bit strange not being as wide of a stance as the "foolies" ? Thoughts? I'm assuming I would need to order wider wheels and tires to go on as singles in the rear? Or what to do about rear wheel situation once the foolies are off and axles shafts replaced?

And is conversion to the Toyota 6 lug 1 ton dually a possibility?

So Fred, if I can find replacement axle shafts from a junkyard, etc. You are advising replacing these and moving to single wide rear wheels as a feasible option? Just unsure the best course of action here.. I don't want the shaft to break while I"m driving. The rig currently has 111k miles on it, it's survived thus far with this setup, but I'm skeptical to keep pushing it if it's at risk of breaking. Obviously spending 4k to correct this situation is not the preferred route...

Gotcha! So to go wide single rear wheels, would I still need to switch out the rear end?

Also, given the size of this tinier Sunrader - would converting to a single rear wheel setup be okay? I've seen people with Mirages do this, or even chinooks.

Thanks for the info. So, to get this conversion done what all am I going to need to source other than just the axle itself. and 4 wheels? I see there are different ratios of 1 ton axles available. What ratio would I need? What else is needed? What kind of labor costs would I be looking at? Thanks for all the guidance here.

I'm wondering if the 1978 Sunrader 17 ft version with the rear door and full rear opening hatch ( I think this was the first model of Sunrader? ) On the Toyota Truck Chassis. It has a 5 lug front and rear. Any idea if these are in need of full floating rears? And possible to even convert to them? Thanks

Gotcha. Thanks for the tip. What's the best way to seal the vent hose off at either end? Will foil tape do the trick, or do I want to use some sort of sealant to make sure it's air tight?

Yea, I removed it, it was stinky. That photo was from before I did all this work. Attached here is one of what it looks like now. When I replaced the lines I didn't run them through a dryer vent hose. I just covered the hoses where it goes through the floor and where it connects to the filler neck with foil tape... but I still smell a bit of fumes bit when it's hot out. Am I doing it wrong?

So here's the full story. When I got the rig, I noticed on filling up at the pump a tiny drip below the fuel filler spot onto the pavement, depending on what angle i was holding the gas pump. Following this there was a slight gas smell in the coach, more apparent after filling up. The fuel filler line runs right under the front dinette bench. I took everything apart, ( there was a dryer vent hose covering the in coach section of the fuel filler line and vent line, taped up at either end to the floor and side with foil tape / electrical tape. I took this off, noticed it had the smell of fuel in it. I noticed a tiny crack in the small hose, I assume the vent hose. I replaced all rubber hoses. Fuel filler hose, and vent hose on all sections of the line in the coach, and underneath all the way up to the tank. I tightened everything up very tight with the hose clamps. Now, I don't get any leaks. I also don't get really any smell of gas in the coach after filling up. HOWEVER, on HOT days 80+ Degree weather - during the day primarily / not so much at night, and it seems worse maybe when the sun is shining on the fuel filler side of the coach, I notice a slight gas smell. It comes and goes, and it's very slight. If I sniff under the dinette seat, I also can smell it, it's not always there, but it's very faint. If I walk outside and put my nose maybe 1-2 feet away from the fuel filler spot, I can also smell whiffs of gas. It also seems to smell worse and I get slight whiffs of gas when I am running my fantastic fan to blow air out / suck air in through the windows The gas cap seems to be all in tact and works. I just don't know at this point. I'm out of ideas, anyone know what's going on here, or how I can fully eliminate this? Do I need to seal off the hose inside the coach behind some sort of dryer vent again? Is there some vent valve that is plugged up on the tank, or somewhere else? Do I have the wrong type of gas cap? Attached is an image of the setup before I took it apart and replaced the lines, and the outside filler point. Can provide more photos if needed.. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks a bunch

A few are missing inside mine. Anyone know if it is still possible to purchase these anywhere? Thanks

Thanks Linda. Very helpful info. I did all of that and letting the area dry out for now. I have the wrap around plexiglass windows. Best way to address re sealing these?

To update. I decided to pull out all the upholstery on the cabover and inspect further. Yikes, there was a small puddle of water there too and the front part of the cabover is a bit soft/soggy especially against the front right corner. Looks like water leaking in from the front right front corner, below the window. Wonder if it's a leak from where the running lights are? or the window? What's involved in patching this up for good? Do I need to reseal the remove and completely reseal the windows, or what? I have 0 experience with this. Do I need to replace the wooden floor on the cabover also? I feel like this could be pricey. I'm such a newb. Any help is appreciated. Thanks

Thanks for that info. I'll check that all out. So, regarding the water pump. If I have all the faucets off, but I turn the water pump switch to ON. I hear it pumping. You're saying this should not be happening?

Hey Guys. First time RV owner and new happy owner here of an 85' Toyota Sunrader 21' Rear Dinette layout. Had it only a few days and it has been raining the past few days. Today I noticed the small "closet" that houses the plumbing for the bathroom, just to the left of the bathroom door. I noticed it smelt a bit funky. Part of the carpet closest to the fiberglass shell was damp. I lifted it up. It was all funky looking and the floor panel was soggy and soft! I'm not sure what to do or where this leak is coming from.I checked other adjacent walls, cabinets and closets and it's all dry. I ran the water pump and ran some water in the bathroom sink and didn't see any water leaking out of the plumbing. So the dampness is most likely something seeping from the rain? Any ideas? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I can update with photos tomorrow. Thank you!